Never Pain to Tell Thy Love
by hazydaze
Summary: BTVS/SPN BXD A demonic King Menelaus searches through time for the incarnation of his bride Helen seeking to trap her for her betrayal in loving Paris. What will happen when he thinks the new incarnation is Buffy?


A Valentine's Fic for Britt

A/N: The title of this story is the name of a poem by William Blake. The words are spelt in the Queen's English. (E.g. Colour not color)

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Chapter 1

Buffy sighed and cricked her neck as she pulled herself out of her car. The satellite navigation system had said three hours but it had really been five. Even with her stamina, she was struggling. She looked down at the piece of paper and re-read the address that was correct at the time she got it, but it was one of those things you didn't know until you got there.

The hotel she had arrived at was small and modest but most probably worth enough to get by. After what seemed like hours of stretching Buffy approached the hotel room.

She was about to turn the key in the lock when the door next to hers opened. A tall fair haired man wandered out with a towel tied at his waist. Her gaze travelled his toned form, until… _No bad Buffy don't look at it! _The guy raised his eyebrow when his eyes followed the same path as hers. He settled for a smirk until another more annoyed looking man pushed past him.

Buffy then raised her own eyebrows and smiled knowingly, and laughed a little under her breath. The guy didn't seem put off at all and only called out, "Hey Sammy don't forget the onions!" The guy, Sammy, sent a gesture which caused Buffy to look away in embarrassment.

The first guy, 'towel guy', offered his hand, "I'm Dean by the way."

Buffy smiled amusement playing on her face, "How nice for you."

"You're not going to tell me your name?" Dean asked bemused. His head tilted to one side in some kind of deep thought that would somehow allow him to figure out why she was not swooning at the sight of him. I mean come on...look at him.

"Nope." Buffy stood leaning slightly with a hand on her hip.

"Why?" Dean folded his arms which hitched his towel further up.

"My mother doesn't let me talk to strangers, especially ones that come out of their rooms in towels talking to other men…She said that path only leads to disappointment." Buffy shrugged, looking down rather unashamedly at Dean's groin and sighing. "Shame though."

Dean laughed, "Don't objectify me."

Turning the key, Buffy opened the door slightly and thought about turning back, but the sound of a door slamming shut behind her alerted her to the fact that Dean had already rushed back into his room. The cold must have finally reached him.

"Nice meeting you Dean." Buffy called out into the darkness.

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First thing in the morning Buffy showered, dressed and went down to the nearest diner. She had had a craving for pancakes since last night and so without even looking at the menu, she made her order, smiling gratefully as the waitress poured her a cup of coffee. Settling into her booth, she opened the file Willow had sent her up with. She had thought it strange before she left when Willow had made her promise not to open it before she got it - now she understood why.

In side the file, she found several news clippings and _a lot_ of photographs showing some of the most brutal mutilations she had ever seen: all of the victims were women… all of them were blonde.

Buffy felt a shudder run down her spine as she flipped through them. Suddenly her coffee smelled too strong and too rich. Pushing it away she let her distaste show on her face.

_Jeez, what is this guy's M.O.? _

The waitress smiled and brought Buffy's pancakes over, Buffy smiled and nodded. The girl smiled at her, she too was a petite blonde with glassy blue eyes. She couldn't have been more than 18. She seemed just like this guy's type until you looked closer. Her eyes were rimmed from crying and her nose slightly puffy from blowing it too many times.

"Hey…" Buffy opened - her hand gently grazed the other girl's hand. "Are…are you okay?"

"Oh… yeah I'm fine" The other girl forced a smile to her face. She reminded Buffy of herself at that age – confused about life and all. Buffy was willing to bet that the issues plaguing this girl were _maybe_ not caused demons ending the world but – there was clearly other stuff.

"I'm Anne… Annie" Buffy introduced herself using her middle name – a necessary precaution for maintaining the element of surprise. Chances were that if this 'butcher' was a demon then, he'd know who she was straight off the bat. Downside of being infamous.

"Arielle…Aria" Aria sat down in front of Buffy while signalling she was taking a break to her boss.

"So what's really going on Aria?" Buffy asked, the direct approach got some funny glances but in the end always won out.

"Why should I think I can trust you?" Aria looked at her sceptically.

"Cause back home I sit at my desk helping girls like you everyday…I'm a high school counsellor" She explained cutting into her first pancake.

"So what are you doing so far away from home?" Aria asked as she sipped Buffy's untouched coffee.

"How about you answer that question first?" Buffy countered, showing the girl that she knew and understood who she really was.

"Bad break up" Aria sighed.

"Been there" Buffy smiled, the connection was forming.

"This… this – why I'm upset now… it isn't a bad break up, My friend… Lisa - she was murdered. It was horrible, they wanted me to identify her but… but there wasn't a lot there, you know?" Aria shuddered.

Buffy remembered that Lisa was the last girl in the file. There had been 4in total - each one more brutal than the last. Someone or something was getting tense. But all the wounds they sustained weren't the kind that one would expect.

"I'm sorry" Buffy said honestly, she had seen this before and every time she said the words she felt more and more fake but she did mean them. No one should have to lose someone like that.

"Me too - Lisa had just gotten a modelling contract… all her dreams were coming true." Aria let a single tear slide down her cheek.

"A modelling contract?" Buffy asked, she didn't know how this might relevant but at this point everything helped.

"Lisa… Lisa was beautiful - it was only a matter of time before people noticed her, you know?" Aria explained, "The police at first thought someone had killed her because they were jealous."

"What was she like?" Buffy had only seen her death, not her life.

"Long blonde hair, like you, her eyes were a…kind of… dark green colour, intense (like her). You know, it's funny really - I'd have to say she was a lot like you" Aria studied Buffy closer as if seeing her for the first time.

"Arielle, I don't pay you to talk to your friends!" A large man with a thick neck yelled out, Aria shrugged at Buffy who nodded for her to leave.

"I'll be back Aria" Buffy promised.

"Okay Annie… and thanks. It's been good to talk to someone" Aria smiled a genuine smile and walked away, leaving Buffy to muse to herself that it was things like that which made the job worth it.

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Chapter 2

Sam had huffed and moaned all morning while researching the mutilations. Dean, on the other hand, had been sweet talking some local college girls for information. 

Sam looked up as Dean wandered in, "Purple nurples?"

"Tequila" Dean squinted a bit before trying to open his eyes fully again.

"Did you do any work today?" Sam glared at Dean who just seemed intent on the vulgar sheets that happened to be decorating the bed.

"Lisa."

"You did Lisa?" Sam asked disgustedly

"No you pervert, Lisa Montgomery was the last girl murdered… turns out there were 4 of them in total, all blonde and all gorgeous" Dean smiled, still slightly out of it. "Not unlike our neighbour."

"Neighbour?"

"You gonna keep doing that? The one word question thing?" Dean frowned as he turned to Sam, "Girl next door, I talked to some people who said they saw her talking to Lisa's friend Aria… her name is Annie"

"Why didn't you just ask her name when you met her?"

"I did, but she didn't want to tell me 'cause she thought you were gay." Dean rolled back over with his back to his brother.

"She thought I was what?" Sam shouted ludicrously.

"Yeah she thought if she told me her name I would upset my boyfriend" Dean breathed heavily for a few seconds before snoring deeply.

Sam sat in the heavy silence that was left. If Dean was right, from what he had found out then 'Annie' could be in serious danger.

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Buffy had hunted down the address of the nearest and creepiest place that Lisa had last been seen and decided to check it out. It looked like a great amphitheatre from back in the days of Ancient Greece but it had many, many rooms which made Buffy cranky.

Wandering through the many, many corridors she chose the most opulent room to go into. It was lit by candlelight and the warm glow flicked off the stone walls, the lavish crimson sheets of the bed, and the other pieces of covered furniture.

Turning around she faced the south wall which still had the remnants of the day on it. But more unnervingly it had the paper cuttings of all the murdered girls, Buffy didn't restrain herself in saying, "Argh - the serial killer wall of death… I hate the serial killer wall of death!"

"Death is natural, so why should we not revel in it?" A deep male voice called out to her.

"Can you say 'psycho' much?" Buffy glared into the area of the room she thought the voice had come from, but from the look of things, it could have just been an echo.

"I can say it, but it offers no truth." The voice said again.

"You did this? You killed them?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Without warning, a hand closed around Buffy's throat. Her instinct was to fight back, but she couldn't move - her windpipe on the verge of being crushed.

"You're just as beautiful as I remember…Helen"

"Helen?" Buffy felt a needle pierce her skin moments before she blacked out. 

---------------------------------

"Helen?" Dean had woken up from an hour's sleep bright and refreshed, well enough to able to verbally communicate. He still mumbled at times but it was something Sam would have to deal with.

"Helen of Troy, or at least that is who he thinks she is," Sam explained, rolling his eyes as he quickly determined that Dean was drawing a blank. "King Menelaus was married to Helen before she betrayed him - she fell in love with Prince Paris of Troy"

"So she was from Troy?" Dean vaguely knew the story, but it didn't conjure up anything vivid.

"No, she was the wife of the Spartan king." Sam double backed from Dean.

"So Mac daddy is pissed that she found a toy boy and wants revenge?" Dean summarised. "But what makes him think it's Annie?"

"It says here Menelaus would know her from her golden spun mane, her emerald gaze - her body replenished by eternal beauty and youth." Sam recited from one of the texts.

"That sounds like a bunch of bull to me" Dean slapped his hands on his thighs in a 'whatever' type gesture.

"We have to try… these girls are being _murdered_, Dean!" Sam ventured softly, reminding him why they still do what they do.

"Okay so where do we start looking?" Dean asked.

"I'd go with the newly-popped-up amphitheatre." Sam picked up his jacket as Dean headed for the Impala.

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Buffy groaned as she felt her mind seep back into consciousness. she tried to brush the sleep from her eyes only to then realise that she couldn't move her hands, nor her feet. She was bound and gagged… and also kind of itchy.

Buffy grunted and sighed when she looked down to see she had been stripped of her own jeans and a t-shirt and dressed in a flimsy, layered Grecian toga. Buffy held in a curse when she thought she could see her own nipples. Looking down further, her legs were exposed from her ankles to her knees, and every time she moved even slightly, another expanse of her thigh would peek out as the material rode up. Turning her head to the side, she felt that her hair was now held up by pins and a coronet.

"Helen, you're awake" The voice from before called out to her. For the first time she could see her captor. He was not a tall man (taller than her obviously but not by much). He was muscular from what she guessed was years of battle; his hair was longish, a kind of caramel brown colour but his eyes. His eyes on the other hand were a pitch black hole that could suck you in somewhere that you would be lost forever.

Buffy mumbled against her gag until he removed it, "I'm not Helen… heck, I'm not even from your time period, I'm guessing."

"I will not suffer your lies any more, Helen." Turning his back, he paced the room slightly taking a deep breath before he returned to her side. "Will you beg for forgiveness?"

"I have nothing that needs forgiving today, thanks!" Buffy said chirpily, her response earning her a backhanded slap across the face. On a regular person it would have split the lip at the least… killed them at the most, but it barely even registered on Buffy. Even he couldn't hide his shock at what he had done and the little effect it had.

"Helen… I'm so sorry" The man rubbed his chin in a thoughtful gesture, he might have been attractive if he wasn't crazy.

"I'm not Helen!" Buffy tried again, but no avail.

He turned and unlocked the cuffs that bound her and just as she was about to bounce up he spoke.

"Don't try and escape - we are magically guarded… try to leave and the force field will incinerate you. I'll have rooms made up for you."

"Why bother?" Buffy spat out.

"Because I don't want my wife to be uncomfortable" The man almost sounded sad at that.

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Chapter 3

Dean sat driving while Sam continued to pour himself over more books.

"So I get the whole she's a hot blonde thing," Dean began, glancing briefly at his brother before he returned his attention to the road, "but the eternal youth stuff?"

"I don't know… it could be anything. Most likely - she's an immortal." Sam said absent minded as he continued to read.

"She didn't really give off an 'immortal' vibe…" Dean frowned as he thought back.

"Yeah Dean? So what kind of vibe was she giving off?" Sam asked in an annoyed tone that had not been used for the first time that day.

"You know what, bitch…" Dean turned and slapped Sam around the back of the head. Sam returned the favour. 

"Jerk!" Sam grunted as a particularly harsh slap hit his ear. "God Dean, what has you so hung up on this girl?

"Nothing!" Dean replied too quickly, and resumed his intense stare on the road ahead of them.

"You like her? Or you like that she doesn't like you" Sam smirked - he knew his brother better than he probably knew himself.

Jerking the car left, Dean felt a small satisfaction that Sam almost hit his side window.

"We're here" He announced as Sam cursed under his breath.

Sam got out of the car and felt a large surge of dread well up inside of him. As he looked down at the ground he caught sight of markings on the Earth.

"Dean, stop! There is something here… a spell or something"

"Spell?" Dean looked at the same markings. He was trying to read them but they were just beyond his knowledge. But he could read death, that one - like fire - was universal.

Sam glanced over the markings and ran back to the car for a book. He flicked through several pages until he found what he wanted. He paced slightly, rubbing his chin and demonstrating all other mannerisms that would indicate a person on edge.

"Sam…Sam…SAM?" Dean practically bellowed when his brother didn't answer.

"Huh? Oh yeah sorry, it seems it says… Enter at your peril, but to leave will result in…" Before Sam finished Dean did.

"Death." Dean wiped his mouth in a nervous gesture.

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Buffy sat on the chair closest to the window, running out of things to throw at the force field. The man had watched her with great interest as she had stormed around.

"You have such fire Helen" The man smiled as if he was remembering something.

"How many times do I… I'm not Helen! Hell - who are you?" Buffy had shouted and thrown what looked like a 600 year old vase at his head.

"I am your husband" He had simply replied after ducking the vase.

"See, here's the thing - I have no husband! No disgruntled boyfriend! No lover!" As soon as the word lover had come out of her mouth, the man's face had darkened until he threw her against the wall. Hitting her back hard, she had slid down slightly unable to hold her own weight. Again, he had apologised but Buffy had had enough.

Her hand closed around his throat and slowly choked him. His eyes widened at her death grip but his hand closed around her wrist and slowly began crushing it. Buffy held as long as she could but she knew if she was to escape she'd probably need all her appendages. With her free hand she hit him in the nose with the palm of her hand. Both free of each other, Buffy stumbled slightly, putting her hand to her back and brought it back. Blood covered it. Slowly blinking, she rubbed the wound, wincing as she pulled out her prize - another piece of a vase was wedged inside of her.

"Helen…" The man offered his hand but she sent out a look that could have killed an army.

"Get… out" She whispered but when he moved as if to help her she screamed, "Get out! Get out!!!"

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Dean and Sam's heads whipped up when they heard the screaming from inside, Sam looked at Dean and mouthed, "Annie?"

The two had begun scaling the side of the amphitheatre looking in each of the window spaces for Annie's room, but so far all they'd seen was things they hadn't needed to see – ever! Personal hygiene wasn't a Greek thing in the armies apparently.

Dean's face darkened considerably and with his 5 o'clock shadow already gracing his face, he looked positively menacing. But on the upside, they now knew where to look. Reaching the source of the noise Sam pulled his bag in after him. Annie didn't seem to be in any of these rooms.

After a moment, Dean followed, grunting as he landed. Sam motioned that he was going to look for a place to do the spell. Step 1, get the barrier down. Step 2, save Annie. Step 3, get out alive. It was a simple, but hopefully effective plan. Sam opened the door and left, but Dean remained.

Buffy heard the door go and she grabbed the sheet she had brought into the bathroom, covering herself. She had to take off the gown she was previously wearing as her blood had soaked it through. Part of her was glad, the red silk covered more than that scrap of fabric ever did.

Opening the door expecting to see her jailer, she was surprised to see her neighbour from the hotel. "Dean?"

"Annie?" He smiled gently and tilted his head at her state of undress.

"Annie?" Buffy hadn't given him any name, so how did he know?

"Not Annie?" He laughed, the sound was deep and rich.

"Not today anyway." Buffy smiled back, she was truly happy to see him.

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Chapter 4

Dean honestly didn't know where to look - it was as if a shy-ness had come over him all of a sudden. Annie or the girl he thought was called Annie, stood in front of him clutching a red sheet to her chest. Her long blonde hair was held up but some of it had managed to escape its trappings and fell across her face and tickled her neck. Her gaze seemed to be staring right through him.

"Dean? Are you okay?" She asked as she turned towards the bed and it was then that he saw the gash.

"Jesus - are you alright?" Dean moved and stood right behind her, his hand hovering inches above her back. "Umm…"

"It's okay, it's not like I can see it for myself anyway" She joked but Dean detected a slight tremble under her skin before he touched her. Gently, his fingertips brushed the soft expanse of skin next to the wound. The wound itself was long and jagged but had already closed up more than Dean would have expected. Kneeling slowly Dean ran both of his hands across the small of Buffy's back to see how tender the flesh around it was. She'd need stitches and sore skin is painful skin.

"So doc, can you fix me up?" Buffy joked but she could feel every brush of his hands on her, they were so soft and gentle, despite the rough texture of his palms.

He laughed his deep laugh again and Buffy sighed as he got up and took away his hands. She turned back still clutching the sheet when she caught Dean's hand. It felt like she'd been zapped with some heavy duty electricity. Pulling her hand back she looked up at Dean who had obviously felt the same thing.

"Buffy?" He whispered unsure of the word.

"How'd you…" Buffy didn't finish when Dean grabbed her hand again, "What?"

The two regarded the flames in the fireplace opposite them, as if they could hear something inside of them. A woman's laugh filled the room followed by a man's. "Helen…" A man called. Suddenly Buffy had the feeling she was tumbling down the rabbit hole into the darkness.

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Buffy groaned as she fell onto a cold surface. Dean landed not much further away from her.

"Okay - who the hell is this Helen, chick?" Buffy was pissed now.

"Helen of Troy" Dean brushed himself down and helped Buffy up. Still wrapped in the sheet, she smiled sheepishly when she noticed Dean's eye line lingering at her breasts.

"The Greek girl? The horse?" Buffy asked as she spied a rope on one of the curtains. Maybe she could make a make-shift toga.

"Yeah the horse - the way my brother, Sam, sees it - the guy holding you captive thought you were his wife Helen." Dean looked around the room and spied that they were in a room similar to the one at the old amphitheatre.

"Paris?" Buffy vaguely remembered history and she didn't even think she had been awake for that part. 

"Prince Paris was Helen's lover, her husband was Menelaus, the king of Sparta" Dean further explained.

"Oh so that's why he got a 'mad' on when I said I didn't have a lover." Buffy tied the rope under her breasts which held most of the fabric in place.

"Don't have a lover?" Dean smirked as Buffy's cheeks reddened as she realised what she had said.

"Well, as much fun as…" Buffy halted when she heard giggling outside, she motioned Dean behind her as she peered outside the door. Looking outside, she really wanted to wash her eyes. "I think I know why he thinks I'm Helen and I'm guessing he isn't too happy with you either."

Dean offered her a confused look until he too looked out. It was a couple, a girl with long blonde hair, turning her face aside as her suitor's hand brushed her thigh. Dean saw she looked exactly the same as Buffy. Pulling her leg up against his, the woman, Dean supposed was Helen. She caressed the face of the man, his lips pressed against her palm. Dean was shocked beyond words to see his own face.

Rolling away from the door so that his back pressed the coldness of the wall, he looked up to see Buffy smiling at him. "Your highness." She bowed slightly.

"How are we supposed to get out of here?" Dean grumbled.

Buffy yanked the door open, "Guessing you're not the brains of the operation, huh?"

Dean looked at her as if she was mad.

"Buffy?!"

Paris and Helen looked up to see something stranger than a mirror, Helen stepped forward but Paris held her hand, "What?"

"Helen? I'm Buffy we are here to help" The two blondes stood completely opposite, Buffy in red but Helen in a pale blue gown.

"Help?" Paris asked warily

"My guess is that your sneaking around is getting you into bigger trouble than you're ready for." Buffy summarised.

Helen and Paris looked at each other and then at Buffy, they were honestly at the point where they were willing to let people wearing their faces help them.

"What do you suggest? My husband is already suspicious of my activities and King Priam is now forcing Paris to find a bride." Helen's eyes pleaded.

"Well… what if you could… umm… runaway? Get married in… Athens?" Buffy improvised.

"But it wouldn't be a real marriage, she would always belong to Menelaus" Paris pointed out.

"Okay Rain Man…" Buffy started but Dean cut her off.

"You love her?" Dean asked and Paris nodded. "What should it matter? If you stand up in that church and tell the gods you love her, no matter what happens… she will always know." Dean looked at Buffy when he finished. Clasping her hand in his, it somehow felt right.

Helen hugged Dean to her, "Thank you so much."

"But where do we even begin to implement this plan?" Paris once again brought reality crashing in.

"Well if you ask me, I've gotta plan," Buffy smiled. "But first I'm going to need a change of clothes… no one can protect forbidden love wearing a bed sheet."

"I'm pretty sure you could sweetheart, but I think then they'd know why it was forbidden." Dean smirked but Buffy laughed and punched his arm lightly.

Helen smiled and took Paris' hand like Dean had with Buffy's, "Let's do this."

"That's the spirit." Buffy beamed.

Chapter 5

In Helen's bed chambers, the two women laughed and bonded, "So you really think it will work?" Helen asked as she admired her work in the glass mirror.

"Well, us looking like you, being here when you aren't?" Buffy rambled, stopping herself she nodded.

"How long have you loved your Dean?" Helen asked as she fastened Buffy's hair into curls like her own.

"My what? No… no!" Buffy shook her head, Helen held it still, "Dean is… well… he's… he's helping me."

"I loved Paris from the moment I saw him, his eyes…" Helen stopped to swoon slightly.

"Must be nice." Buffy smiled back at Helen.

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Dean, on the other hand, felt ridiculous and had refused to change. Buffy had knocked on his door several times. "Dean?"

"What?"

"I get that you're a big manly man and you don't want to wear a skirt…" Buffy smiled as the door yanked open. _Men… just so easy sometimes._

Buffy gulped when Dean opened the door, but her heart did a little skip when he held a breath. She wore a long white gown, corseted from breast to hip, it was decorated with little jewels - diamonds probably, and from the hip down to the floor, trailed a silk skirt with thigh high slits either side. She could either be the Queen of Sparta or Buffy the Slayer in two seconds or less.

She had picked this particular dress for that factor, but apparently only she and Helen looked the same size, it was only a small difference but one Dean obviously appreciated. Buffy once again got to appreciate Dean's chiselled body with what could be called little more than a loin cloth cover him.

"It's not a skirt… it's a dress" Dean breathed as he watched Buffy's chest press against the corseted half of her gown.

Buffy reached out to touch Dean's tanned flesh, but before her hand even got close he yanked her by her wrist into the circle of his arms. Looking up at his face Buffy looked into his eyes, a light mossy green colour not dissimilar to her own.

"Dean?" She whispered before their lips touched. A graze became gentle brushing, which became lips pressed so close together neither knew where they ended and the other began.

"God… I want you." Buffy mumbled incoherently as she felt Dean's hands graze the ribbons that held her in the forsaken dress. She half expected what came next when Dean slipped his knife from its holding and slit the ribbons in half and pulled the offending garment away. 

The two of them spent little time on removing each others clothing. Dean by the end of it stood behind Buffy, his fingertips stroking where she should have had a cut at most or a scar at least. 

"There's nothing there" He whispered. "Eternal youth…"

"No…" Buffy turned back, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, smelling his own Dean smell. Dean slowly tangled his hands in Buffy's hair which had all fallen free. Buffy smiled, she could hear Helen in her mind, she knew Dean could hear Paris.

_"I will love you always." Helen softly spoke her words of love to Paris in front of the minister. They were too happy to even put into words._

"I stand here today for you and you alone Helen… so that you will know forever that I will love you." Paris smiled fondly at the memory of Dean telling him off.

_The two lovers continued to spread their love across the waters of the beach they stood on._

Despite their earlier hurried pace, the two allow themselves to take in the sight of the other. Buffy loved that when she gently ran her hands down Dean's biceps he would shudder slightly. It was like anywhere she touched him she could see how he felt about it.

"You think you're so closed off but you're not" Buffy whispered against his chest as she kissed her way down to his muscled stomach and navel. Dean caught her by the arms and brought her back up.

Dean smiled a wicked smile, "Well sweetheart, you're so responsive." Dean brushed his fingertips down across Buffy's breasts. She trembled beneath his hands. "I mean how do you get by?"

Dean's hands fell to Buffy's ass he left one hand there possessively and with the other he gently drew circles on the small of her back. Every now and then her body would jerk forward away from his hands and against the hardness of his body.

"Dean… please." She called to him, but instead he moved away from her completely. He stood there in all his glory contemplating her body. Buffy was half mad with desire, so much so that she was quite tempted to slap him. As if he could read her mind he chuckled lightly.

"Oh you think this is funny?" Buffy stood with her hands on her hips. Dean tilted his head and pushed Buffy back onto the bed behind her. Dean held her down against the plush mattress with a hand on her stomach, his knee between her thighs. Buffy hissed as he gently rubbed his hands on the skin of her inner thighs.

Buffy yanked Dean's head down to hers for a kiss, satisfying herself with that for now. Her tongue duelled with Dean's. She could hear Helen again in her head, she almost cursed her.

_"I love you" Helen smiled as she pressed her lips to Paris'. Paris pulled back and touched her face. "I love you…"_

"I love you" Dean whispered in Buffy's ear as he parted her and fitted himself inside her to the hilt. Buffy cried out and grasped Dean's shoulders. She felt something she hadn't in forever… she felt whole… truly whole. Slowly she opened her eyes to see Dean's concerned ones searching her face. Buffy softly pressed her lips against his and whispered "I love you" so quietly that Dean wasn't sure he had even heard the words.

Slowly he drew himself out and pushed back in, Buffy's whimpers became cries of passion, the faster he withdrew and returned to her. Their peak was close, too close, to easy to reach. But neither cared, they just wanted to be together. Buffy broke first, a white light came fast and bright behind her eyes. Her body rippled and pulled Dean with it, with a shout he collapsed on top of her. Dean pulled the coverlet of the bed over the two of them with a promise of longer lasting sex tomorrow. Buffy laughed and kissed him gently with the promise of showing him her bendy gymnastic stuff.

When Buffy woke, she turned to see Menelaus loading up an arrow in a crossbow. That must have been what set it all off, the event that changed him. Its one thing to know your wife is cheating on you but to see it with your own eyes.

But before she could even warn Dean, he had sent the shot. Dean turned of the bed slightly to see it coming at him, for him suddenly everything was in slow motion. He could see it about to pierce his flesh. But it didn't. Buffy had caught the arrow and held it in the middle. Dean went to touch it when she shouted, "Don't its poison!"

As quickly as it had happened the first time, the two felt the tumbling sensation which signified that they were going home.

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Chapter 6

"What happened?" Dean looked around them, "Why are we back here?" Looking down he was grateful to be back in his own clothes. Buffy was nowhere to be seen.

Sam ran out from the corridor in front of Dean, "Dean!"

"Sam?! What the hell is going on?"

"The cycle… I think you broke it"

"Great!"

"Or not - I think he is going to kill Annie"

"Buffy"

"What? Wait how did you break the cycle?"

"Originally Paris was murdered, died from a poisoned wound" Dean explained and Sam got it. "We saved Paris when we sent them away"

"Huh?"

"These women he thinks are Helen? They die because they have nothing to fight for… the guy who stood up for them died. But that's over now." Dean set himself to it with new purpose.

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"Helen!" The now demonic Menelaus roared.

Buffy looked down to find that she was back in her own clothes. Thank god for small graces!

"Okay you know what?! GET OVER IT! She doesn't love you and she never did!" Buffy called to the thing that was racing towards her. Spying a sword on the wall Buffy ran past the raging beast to the opposing wall, bouncing her foot of it she grabbed the sword as she turned. The thing had been smart enough to turn and follow her round but she was something it wasn't… quick. Buffy held the point of her blade to the demon's throat.

"It wasn't Helen you saw anyway… it was me" Buffy sighed, she honestly felt sorry for the demon. He had once been a man deeply in love with a wife who loved another. 

The demon seemed to falter at that, "Yeah it was easier raging at Helen when you knew what she had done… but she wasn't even in the town when you came to her room. She had run away to marry Paris."

The demon thrashed its claws at Buffy, but she quickly parried the blows. "No!" It growled, in a low agonising voice. "Helen…betrayed me… I watched…"

"No, well yes, she betrayed you but… you never saw her" Buffy placed her hand on its shoulder. Inevitably the rage took hold again and it rushed at Buffy, turning away she rolled off of its back. Dean and Sam made an appearance at the top of the dining hall they were in.

"Paris." It snarled, Sam looked quizzically at Dean, who shrugged back.

Buffy took the opportunity to slash at its back, turning its attention back to her. "Come on Menelaus, you and me"

Dean pulled out the revolver from his back pocket and let two shots ring out. One in the head, one in the heart. He never missed.

Buffy looked at him outraged, "How… how could you?!" She yelled as she ran up to him and began punching him ineffectually on his chest.

"He was in pain!" Dean yelled back, "He didn't want to fight! He wanted to die!"

"No!" Buffy sobbed gently against Dean's coat. There were so many things about their meeting, their feelings, she didn't understand.

"Let him go… what happened… to him… to them, that isn't our fault." Dean whispered into her hair, "We saved them, gave them a life together."

------------------------------

When Buffy and Dean had walked hand in hand back to the Impala, Sam had asked no questions, but simply smiled to him self. Reaching the black car, Buffy disentangled herself from Dean as Sam got into the drivers seat of the Impala to give them space.

"What now?" Dean asked simply.

"Now?" Buffy smiled, "I've got to save the world, you?"

"Same." Dean returned her smile. "One thing I don't get about all this… sure you're hot but what made Helen able to use you as a conduit?"

"Eternal youth?" Buffy sighed and turned away, Dean grabbing her hand like he had so many times before to turn her back - back to him. "I will be eternally youthful because I will die before I'm old enough to age."

Dean blinked as if to say are you joking but she shook her head, "Slayer… comma… the, look it up" She smiled gently and touched Dean's cheek.

"But the thing with that… I've already died more times than necessary… so I wouldn't put much stock in all that" Buffy tried to laugh it off.

"So settling down is out?" Dean half joked, he wasn't ready either but with her he was willing to try.

"Right now?" Buffy smiled again, "No way in hell - I'm 22 years old, but someday…" Dean kissed her gently.

"Someday it is then" Dean smiled as he turned and got into the front seat of the impala. Sam gassed up the engine and Dean watched Buffy walk away in his side view mirror.

------------------------------------------

"Look at this… the books have changed" Sam pointed out.

"Changed?" Dean felt the panic rise up in him, damn psychic brother.

"Says here… Menelaus found Paris and Helen together and flew into a rage and killed himself… leaving the lovers to marry and live in peace, ruling over Troy and Sparta"

"Huh, look at that" Dean smiled. The sun was just beyond the ridge. Someday would come a lot fast than either one of them expected.

Fin


End file.
